I've never been hypnotized, as far as I know.

I was speaking to a friend last night, however, who told me he had been hypnotized by a hypnotherapist.

He said it felt like, "Being lowered into a grave."

This is the creepiest description I ever heard! Has anyone else heard it described like that?

No - but I love the image. What I say for college gigs is it is like smoking a joint without having to worry about the cops knocking on the door. But since I have never smoked a joint (though I have had cops knock on the door) I wouldn't know.

Nope, never heard it described like that. I wouldn´t let that deter you from experiencing hypnosis/trance.
Afterall, how many times has your friend been lowered into a grave?

I´ve hypnotized people who didn´t previously believe in hypnosis, and they loved it and wanted more!

I've been smoking a joint WHILE the cops were knocking at the door. and when I realised what was going on I can honestly say that it in did indeed feel like I was being lowered into a grave at that particular time. And people think this stuff is all just coincidence!

bobser.
ps: Oh, and I sh-t myself. Did I mention that?

So hypnosis is like smoking a joint whilst sh-tting oneself?

Somehow, I don't think that's going in my pre-talk!

LOL Bob! I don't think I would include that in the pretalk as well.

I'm no expert but...

Most people who have watched TV a Movie listened to a Story Teller or read a book have been hypnotized.

If you own a "Brand Name" anything you have probably been hypnotized.

-Mary Mowder

Mary’s got it right. It’s just a different way of using your mind. I learned “self-hypnosis” as a teenager. Later on had a few sessions with licensed therapists. It was very relaxing (once I’m pretty sure I just fell asleep) and focused. Most of us would qualify as “entranced” just by driving a long distance. The fun stuff happens with what can be slipped in once the “gatekeeper” is distracted.

As for being “lowered into the grave”, I’d say either that’s what he was already expecting, or he’s yanking your chain.

DWRackley is correct, on the falling asleep! In my younger day, I went to a licensed therapist to help me push harder into body building.
He told me that no obsessions were a good thing. I was going to the gym six days a week. I went three times after the session , was watching people wrap their knees and power lifting. I decided that was to much to try to lift at that kind of degree . I then backed off of going to the gym. So, I do not know if I had made any gains, but I was allot younger then !

6 days a week doesn´t leave a lot of time for recovery!

Owen, work lowers one day and uppers next,switching off. The thing I remember most was the comment about "no obsessions are good" and maybe that was what stuck in my head. It was stated before the session and I think I did fall asleep.

One of the absolute simplest yet best lines I heard say came from MP during one of our coffee mornings.
He simply said that: "Hypnosis is unstable".
Once you take a minute, digest and accept that, then the whole world of hypnosis changes. There are less facts, which if viewed correctly can actually be a very positive thing.
So, 'what does it feel like to be hypnotized?' has very little meaning if it's merely asked of one person.
Some are sleepers, who hear but CANNOT act. Some are sleepers who actually sleep. Some are wide awake, eyes wide open but for the strangest of reasons want to grant YOUR every desire. Although they will claim they felt nothing other than being wide awake and not in any trance. And I'm extremely happy to believe that.
And yes, some will socially comply. BUT there IS a difference. And I don't believe it can be taught. I think it has to be learned through experience and in this experience a certain type of knowledge develops. A kind of gnosism.
Sorry, getting a wee bit deep now. But, that's how it appears for me.

Hypnosis feels like a complete release, surrender and letting go of all responsibility. It is a peaceful, wonderful and amazing experience. You feel comfortable, carefree and at ease.

I tend to agree with Bobser. I see many different reactions to hypnosis; though how the subject really feels is another thing. Asking them afterwards is the simplest way. Yes, many completely zone-out altogether, some are sleepers and others open their eyes later and say "Is that it??"
As Hypnotists I think we just learn through observation and reports back from the subject.
When hypnotised myself, I feel differently with different hypnotists and situations. Perhaps it's like that for other people?

Absolutely! Y'know, whilst learning this stuff I asked loads of experienced hypnotists what the hypnotees said afterwards.
It was frightening how many (obviously)never asked any of them anything. I didn't and still don't get this. How does a person get to 'claim to know something' when they never ask any questions?

Ahemmmm! Hate to say it most hypnotists don't know that much really. that's because they are in a trance most of the time. They learn scripts and canned inductions and just keep going no matter what happens. A bit like a sales person who keeps going getting out the whole scripted presentation long after the person has indicated they want to buy. Quite often they will talk themselves out of a sale.

Now here is the thing.....the most valuable questions you can ask someone is when they are IN trance not after. Most hypnotists are afraid to ask questions in case it bring them out of trance.

Especially if you are doing change work you need to know what they are experiencing. you need to interact instead of rattling off a script without interacting with whats happening before you.

Its easy Bobser they get to claim they know something because they use the label "hypnotist". Unfortunately the public don't know a skilled one from a cowboy and there lies the problem.

Different people experience hypnosis in totally different ways and, more to the point, remember and describe it in different ways.

In my experience the single commonest thing that people say afterwards is "that was weird"!

Not really. That depends on what you think is hypnosis or your definition of hypnosis. As Mary said, after a long cross country interstate drive, after watching a movie, after daydreaming, after watching a sporting event, after reading a few chapters of a good book, I've never heard anyone say "that was weird".

Since nobody is in a trance in the first place it is no surprise to me that there are so many different answers from the subjects. As long as there are lots of daft people in the world who delude themselves that they have been "hypnotised" you will get plenty of different answers and the more imaginative the subjects the more imaginative the replies will be.

As I keep telling everyone "hypnosis" is a load of old cobblers but if you want a definition here it is. It is a load of old baloney but in reality it is a combination of the power of suggestion (which I do believe in) social compliance and most important of all the subject's tendency to delude himself that he has been "hypnotised" and act in a manner that he thinks he is supposed to act if he was really under some sort of "trance".

A couple of hundred years ago or so a committee was formed in Paris headed by Ben Franklin to investigate hypnosis. They came up with the conclusion that it was simply "an excitement of the imagination"

Guess what? I think they got it right.

There. I hope that was suitably intellectual for you all.